ASHBORO, NC - Manufacturing design software maker Lectra says Klaussner Home Furnishings, one of the largest producers of residential furniture in the United States, has adopted its advanced 3D/2D design and product development solution.
Klaussner produces more than 500 styles in its manufacturing and distribution facilities in Ashboro, NC. With 600 fabric choices and more than 75 leathers, Klaussner is able to produce custom-order furniture domestically in fewer than 21 days.
"With the furniture industry on the rebound, we are evaluating key processes and technologies to drive efficiencies within our operation," says Glenn Kahn, VP manufacturing for Klaussner Home Furnishings. "We have used CAD software for our frame design for years, but we had never attempted to use the approach for our upholstery design. Upholstery is a whole new ballgame because the challenges are greater when dealing with a number of elements like pleats and different fabrics."
Klaussner relied on manual processes for its upholstery development process. With several product developers all using different methods, geometry challenges often arose, Lectra reports.
"We were looking for software that could help accelerate our development cycle time, provide clean geometry, create up-to-date technical files and standardize our process across developers," says Kahn. Klaussner plans to use Lectra's DesignConcept 3D for upholstery as well as frame design.
"In the time it currently takes us to develop a frame, our goal is to use Lectra's solution to have the complete piece developed," says Kahn. He says DesignConcept 3D will give Klaussner the ability to optimize designs and make decisions early in the process, rendering a piece of furniture before any materials are even cut.
"This rendering enables us to start from a better concept, eliminate the communication gap between our groups and significantly reduce the amount of time we spend on the development process," Kahn says. "The number of prototypes we create today can vary from style to style. With this advanced technology, we aim to get down to one physical prototype before validation on every piece we develop."
Headquartered in Asheboro, N.C., Klaussner Home Furnishings has grown to become one of the largest furniture companies in America, recently moving to its 90,000 square foot showroom in High Point. With a network of facilities to house and produce goods and worldwide import sources, Klaussner continues to lead the industry in best practices and customer satisfaction. Lectra serves 23,000 customers in more than 100 countries with 1,400 employees and $270 million in 2013 revenues. The company is listed on NYSE Euronext.
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